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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26336140">The Passing of Mortal Men</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/writterings/pseuds/writterings'>writterings</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Mortality [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Episode Fix-It: s01e06 Rare Species, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Loves Jaskier | Dandelion, Jaskier dies, Just a mention of it, M/M, Minor Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg, Post-Episode: S01E06 Rare Species, the mountain scene</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 02:48:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,160</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26336140</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/writterings/pseuds/writterings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Geralt knew that humans aged. </p>
<p>But he never really considered the fact that Jaskier might.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia &amp; Jaskier | Dandelion, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Mortality [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1921816</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>158</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Passing of Mortal Men</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Geralt knew that humans aged. </p>
<p>But he never really considered how fast they did or in what ways. He supposed that was somewhat his curse of being a Witcher - he lost so much of his humanity, that he forget basic human things like how time passed for them or how they ended up evolving over time. </p>
<p>He supposed that he probably should have taken that more into account when it came to Jaskier, but honestly, the bard seemed so goddamn ageless that it never came to mind. He looked twenty at forty, and thirty at nearly fifty. Perpetual babyface for his whole life, and the personality and attitude to match. </p>
<p>That was, until, after the dragon hunt and mountain. When he had screamed insults and hurtful words at his friend - his oldest friend, the only person who had stuck by him. </p>
<p>When he had pushed him away from a place of hurt and blamed all his troubles on him, due to his own inability to acknowledge his emotions and process them in a healthy way. </p>
<p>By the time he came to the realization he was wrong, he was too late. About fifty years too late. </p>
<p>He had hunted Jaskier down. Asked about him in every town or city he visited. Even went to Oxenfurt once or twice. But there was no sign of the bard. </p>
<p>His bard. </p>
<p>That was, until, he came up the estate of Lettenhoven and found a child outside with a familiar set of blue eyes and charming, yet almost grating, personality that matched a certain someone’s. </p>
<p>The girl had greeted him and asked if he was a Witcher, like her grandfather used to tell stories about. When he expressed confusion to the child, she rolled her eyes in a familiar way - a way that reminded him of his bard -  and brought him to her parents. </p>
<p>Jaskier’s daughter and son-in-law. </p>
<p>The last time Geralt had seen Jaskier, he had expressed how much he annoyed him. How much he wished that bard wasn’t in his life. How much he, well, hated him. </p>
<p>And it was true - the bard was an annoyance. There were parts of him the Geralt couldn’t stand. And there were parts that Geralt downright hated.</p>
<p>But...the bard was worth it, he soon realized after many years and many talks with Ciri, his more emotionally intelligent daughter. In fact, he found that he couldn’t even hate or find annoying parts of the bard when he considered how much Jaskier meant to him. </p>
<p>Jaskier was perfect in every way, including the ways in which he annoyed Geralt. In fact, that was part of the reason he came to love him. But he realized that too late - far, far too late he realized as he stood over Jaskier’s grave.</p>
<p>The bard - his bard - had been dead for over ten years, apparently. He had lived a full life, gotten married, had children, and left a legacy for himself both as a bard and a viscount. He was loved by many, hated by few, and generally admired when brought up in conversation. Jaskier had made a good life for himself. </p>
<p>A life without Geralt, the Witcher realized as he knelt before the grave and stared at the headstone with a sober and humbling feeling settling in his chest. </p>
<p>“Jaskier, you were.... Geralt began before he realized speaking aloud to a headstone would accomplish nothing. He shook his head. It was stupid. Jaskier’s family had even given him alone time with the grave - but it’s not like he could actually say anything to it, like it actually meant something. Like the grave could respond with a snarky retort and call him an idiot, like Jaskier would. </p>
<p>But then, he remembered the bard’s demeanor and his attitude. His view on life. He would romanticize the hell out of talking to an unresponsive gravesite. He would eat that shit up. And Geralt, one who previously denied Jaskier these small pleasures and victories, was struck with a pang of guilt thinking about it right now. So he spoke. </p>
<p>“Jaskier,” he said, the name still familiar on his tongue as if fifty years hadn’t passed since he’d last seen the bard. “I’m…sorry.”</p>
<p>He paused. </p>
<p>“They say Witcher’s don’t have emotions...but I have found that as false. I had emotions...for you. I’m not sure in what way. Friendship. Romance. Or something else.” He paused again. “That is why I sought you out.”</p>
<p>Of course, the gravestone said nothing. </p>
<p>Geralt continued, “It was...unfair of how I treated you on the mountain. And before that. You were the only friend I’ve ever had and….”</p>
<p>He wasn’t sure how to finish.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” he eventually said. “Thank you for being...there. For being <em> you </em>. I have a daughter now. Ciri. You would love her. And I’m still involved with Yen. In whatever way you may take that. But...I still have...love? Love for you in my heart.”</p>
<p>He stared at the gravestone, unblinking. It was well taken care of, and obviously visited often -  if the fresh flowers placed on it said anything. Geralt, who was already frowning, frowned harder. </p>
<p>“I....” Geralt started. He swallowed heavily. “I am sorry, Jaskier. For what I said at the mountain. For how I treated you…..”</p>
<p>He paused, reading over the date that Jaskier died and thinking over what he had been doing at that time. He couldn’t remember. </p>
<p>“I’m sorry for missing your life, and having you waste so much of it on me.”</p>
<p>He then paused again. </p>
<p>“I’m sorry. And thank you.”</p>
<p>He knelt there for a moment longer, and then promptly got up and walked away. Jaskier’s daughter and son-in-law invited him to stay for dinner. He declined. </p>
<p>He had taken up so much of Jaskier’s short, <em> short </em>life and he hadn’t even bothered to be there for the final parts of it. He hadn’t seen the man Jaskier had become or even attempted to be a part of his life. </p>
<p>So that was why, Geralt reasoned as he rode away from Lettenhoven, that he didn’t stay a moment longer. Jaskier’s granddaughter’s eyes were boring into the back of his head as he went - as if she knew how he had wasted and taken for granted Jaskier’s life. </p>
<p>Geralt knew that humans aged. </p>
<p>But, for the first time in his too-long life, he wished that he was able to relate to them; to understand how time passed to a mortal. </p>
<p>Because maybe then - <em> maybe </em>then - he would have been able to get his head out of his ass sooner and apologize to Jaskier. His bard. And actually be there for the rest of his life. </p>
<p>Geralt rode on, and tried to keep his mind on the Path. </p>
<p>But at the first chance he got, he found a wild patch of dandelions and tied a handful of them to his sword. </p>
<p>Jaskier was gone. But he would not be forgotten. </p>
<p>Geralt owed him that, at least.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>head ups: i was drunk af when writing this and when posting this. im literally not sober rn but im an english major so i can still write mostly normally yehaw. i was in an angsty mood so have this. i love u.</p>
<p>i could potentially write a long fic too about this by only maybe like i said im drunk rn so idk lmfaoooooo</p>
<p>edit 9/11/20: lol i went back and edited some of the drunk typos i made</p></blockquote></div></div>
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